76 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2022
Defense Speak Interpreted:
Who Won the Project Convergence
War Game—Evil Chaos or JADC2? E
I know you have been on the edge of your seats
since my Defense Speaks September column,
"What Does Convergence Mean to Defense?"
or back to my February column, "So, What's a
JADC2?" While I tackled some other govern-
ment defense topics, I realize I have le you
hanging concerning the big interservice war
game maneuvers, Project Convergence (PC),
which tested out the information connection
described in the JADC2 effort. I know, you
thought aer my "Son of JEDI" description of
a cloud-based information flow, that all service
branches would soon be coordinated and talk-
ing to each other smoothly.
Isola Materials Support Military
LEO Satellites E
Isola Group, a global innovator in materials for
printed circuit boards (PCBs), has announced
its low-loss I-Tera® MT40 circuit materials
supporting multilayer printed circuit boards
(PCBs) for military- and commercial-grade
low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites.
CyberOptics Features Best-in-Class
Inspection Systems Powered by
MRS Sensor Technology at APEX E
CyberOptics Corporation, a leading global
developer and manufacturer of high-precision
3D sensing technology solutions will demon-
strate the SQ3000 Multi-Function system for
AOI, SPI and CMM in Booth #2541 at the 2022
IPC APEX EXPO, scheduled to take place
Jan. 25–27, 2022, at the San Diego Convention
Center in California.
DoD Faces Growing Risks from Reliance
on Lead in Electronics E
e U.S. defense community is facing a small
but growing problem that is increasingly under-
mining U.S. military readiness and technolog-
ical dominance. e problem is lead—specif-
ically, the lead-alloy solders that traditionally
have been used to attach electronic components
to printed circuit boards (PCBs). Over the last
15 years, the commercial electronics industry
has shied to lead-free solders, prompted by
environmental health regulations in Europe and
elsewhere. However, the U.S. Department of
Defense (DoD) and its contractors never made
the switch and are still heavily reliant on leaded
solders. Now, leaded electronics are becoming
harder to find and more outdated.
Zulki's PCB Nuggets: Cleanliness is
Next to Reliability E
Today's PCBs are highly populated with
increasingly smaller device packaging. As a
result, these advanced device packages are
extremely difficult to clean due to tight densi-
ties and configurations, especially with bottom
terminated components. Current OEM system
designs and those on the drawing board are
driving these newer technologies, which are
the foundation of advanced PCB assembly and
manufacturing.
Sparton's Bill Toti Retires; Tracy Howard
Tapped as Next President & CEO E
Sparton President and Chief Executive Officer
Bill Toti has retired aer leading the company
for three years, including through the com-
pany's transition to Elbit Systems of America
during 2021.
